Valve seat



July V11,51939; n c. L sTANcLlFF Patented July `11.14939 '--PA'rENT orifice"- -vALvlt'sEA'r L. stanetg, 'culla applieatiennnunfy s. 193s, serial Ne. '182,944

invention relatesA generally to xthat cla'1 \of machinery employing valves.' such' as internal combustion engines, compressors, and other Y mechanisms, and more particularly to the valve seats thereof.

In order to compensate for wear and deterioration under high temperatures, it is the present practice with many manufacturers, to construct valve seats of tungsten, Stellite", and other` hard metals, which necessitates 'that provision be made for holding suc'h separately constructed lvalve seats immovably in place in the machine.

However, it has been' found extremely diiilcult.

and` in many instances impossible, to prevent g loosening and displacement of such inserted or replaceable valve seatsas a result of temperature'variations, whereby the intended advantages are largely, if not entirely, lost by expensive repair operations and loss of use of the machine.

An object ofthe present invention is to provide a separatel valve seat which is structurally charand associated with a valve port in such manner as to positively insure that the seat will remain tightly in p/lace irrespective of variations in temperature between the 'seat and the surrundingjor supportinggmetal, whereby to obtain the. advantages of longer life, resistance to pitting andless valve grinding, allV without anyextrane- Vons fastening means`or diiilc'ult'y in installation.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set Y forth inthe following specification and' particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of-fa cylinderblock-showing one form of valve seatv embodyin'g this invention,- applied to a valve port in the block; A

Figure 2 is a sectional 'viewtaken on. the line 2-2 efrigurei;

- Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentaryl sectional vview-taken on the line 3--3 'of Figure 1, and illusf 1 '45 subjected 'te operating temperatures ef the matrating fthe condition of the before being Figure 4 is e. view similar to Figure a and'ilius'- 'trating the condition of the parts after havingbeen subjected to the operating temperatures of'- the machine; l

Figure 5 is aviewsimilartoFigure 4, an'd illus.-

tratinga second form of valve seat embodying the invention;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure with threads I8 which are complementary to the 4, and illusle calms. (ci.- 1ra-lss) trating a thirdform ofvalveseat embodyingthe invention.A

Referringlspecically to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive. the valve -V seat indicated generally by S is shown for the A 5 Purpose of illustration associated with a valve Aperi: I. in a. support such as the cylinder bleek B of an internal combustion engine, `although it will .be clearlyjunderstood that the inventionis ap-' plicable to any class of machinery in which such 1 variations in temperature can exist as would adversely aife'ct the useV of separate relatively hard valveseats of the prior art. v

' The valve seat S is preferably`eonstmcted of tungsten or such alloy as will most effectively resist wear and deterioration from high. temperatures and temperature fluctuations, and is in the form o f an annular body Il' having th'e usual beveled annular face II with which a poppett valve (not shown) Vcol-acts to open and close the port during the cycle of operation of the engine.

The body I0 is provided with external threads I3 of the cross sectional contour' shown most clearly 'in Figures 3 and 4, from which it will be noted that the werking fece Il er. the threads, 26 if prolonged towards theaxial center line a of the' valve seat, as indicated by the line b, in Figure 3, will be in intersecting relationship to thev prolongation linee of the inner end face I5 of/the valve seat.; Thus these opposed faces of the valve 0 seat are relativelyinclined in a direction to con. verge vtowards said axial center'- line a. when the valveseat is viewed in diametrlc' cross section. It is to be understoodA that the term working faceis applied l.to that portion ofthe threads upon` which the axialA thrust is imposed or reacts when the valveseat isscrewed tightly into the cylinder block B to bring'the inner endv face I5 ofthe valve .tightlyagainst the opposing complementaryface'l formingY the bottom or` annular shoulder of a recess Il which is bored'in the cylinder block around the port P v*and in concentric 1 relationship thereto.

The annular wall 20 of the recess I1 is provided.

a so as to function in a novel manner in the operation of the invention as follows:

vWhen the. valve seat S isflrst installed in the cylinder block B, it is screwed tightlyby a suitable tool (not shown) into the recess Il, as shown in Figure 3. -During operation of the engine, the

valve seat S becomes heated to a higher degree than the wall 20 of the cylinder blocklsurrounding the valve seat, due to the fact that thel valve seat is directly subjected to heat of. burning fuel,

.. whereas said wal is cooled by water or air depending on which 'type of cooling s'ystenLis emi and I6, the excess radial and Aaxial expansion of pansionand contraction ofthe block and seat the cylinder block, when the parts are the valve seat willbe .automatically compensated for, as thefaces lll and l5 of the valve seatwill ride upon and constantly remain in contact with the faces I9 and'li,respectively, as'shown in Figure 4. Now, as the engine cools, the contraction of the Wall 20 and valve seat be similarly com. pensated for, `as the co-acting faces will merely slide upon each other so as to positively maintain the valve seat tight. -Y

' The invention will be equally effective in maintaining the valve seat tight in the event that the engine cooling system fails and causes the cylinder block to becomeheated to a greater extent than the lvalve seat. Irrespective of whether the cylinder block or the valve seat is heated to a greater or lesser degree, the working faces lll and I9 will operate automatically in conjunction with'v the .faces I5 and I6, to maintain the valve seat tight for it will be appreciated thatany relative exradially and axially will fn/ierely result in the coacting faces above set forth riding upon each "other, .the exact relative angles of the Afaces being precalculated to 'obtain this effect so that all temperature differentials between the block and seat will be automatically compensated for. The same functioning of the invention will occur with its use in air-cooled motors.

' It is to'be understood that the original iit of the seat in the cylinder block is such that, when the parts are cold, there will be sucient clearance for the seat to expand tightly against the cylinder block without being constricted or crushed thereby. Thus, the seat wil not become warped or distorted from excessive pressure against theY cylininder block, and will remain'tightly in 'place ir. respective of temperature variations. This original clearance is, of course; very slight, but is distinguished from various types if seats heretofore proposed which have/a press fit in the block and are from .005" to .010" tight, and, as a. consequence, are apt to' crack through to he wall of eated. Reference will, now be had' to Figure 5, which 'I shows a modified form of the invention dierin'g aleman angles to the axial center line a of thevalve seat. As the relative convergency of the faces lla and E9n, to the faces |511. and ISa, is maintained, the

functioning of this form of the invention kis iden-1 vtical withthat previously described.

'l9b of the'threads can be arranged in parallelism to the faces lband Ib and transversely or.- at a right angle to the axis of the seat S. This form of the invention is thus distinguishedfrom the forms, previously described by having no' angle instead of the angles between the working faces of the threads and the opposed faces of' the seat and block, it bengfound in practice that a variable angle from amaximum to no angle should be chosen in accordance with the maximum temperature at. which the motor -is operated; -It will be clear that the higher the temperature of the motor. the greater the radial and axial expansion will be, and hence Vthe larger the angle Q should be to compensate therefor, and maintain the seat tight. 7 .Y

vIn the no-angle form shown in Figure 6, the threads I3b will extend close to the face |617 of the seat so that the axial distance :c 4between the face I6b and the. Working face Hb of the thread nearest thereto will be such that at the maximum operating temperature of the motor, the axial expansion of the seat wouldapproximate .0005 of an inch. With thisrelatively small amount -of axial expansion, there will be suiicient elasticity in the 'metal or spring in the thread to maintain the coacting surfaces Mb, |9b and l5b,

when 'the motoris cold.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a support having a valvejport, ofA avalve `seat for said port; coacting threads on the valve seat and in the supib in contact so that the seat will remain tight'A -port by which the valv`e` seat can be tightly are arranged in parallelism with aline at right tion of operation, the working faces Mb'. and

therewith to limit 'the extent to which the valve seat can be screwed into the support; said'end face and said shoulder being in inclined relationship to one face of said threads, operableto maintain the valve seat tightly in p lace irrespective of variations in heating and cooling of the support and the valve seat. 2. The combinationvalve port, of a valve seat for said port; co-acting threads on the vvalve seat and in the support by A which the valve seat can be tightly screwed in place; the valve seat having an end face and the support having a. shoulder co-acting therewith to limit the extent to which the valve seat can be screwed'into the support; said end face and that face of said threads of the valve seat'in opposed relationship theretobeng so disposed relative to each other as to co-act in maintaining the valve seat tightly in place irrespective of variations in valve port, of a valve seat for said port; co-acting l threads on the valve seat and in the'support by with a support having a v heating and cooling of the support and valye seat.

3.`The'comblnation with a support having a which the valve seat can be tightly screwed in y place; the valve seat having an end face and the support having a. shoulder Vco-acting therewith to limit the extent to which the valve seat can be a,1cs,s11 I screwed into the support; said 'end'fa'ce and that face of said threads of the valve seat in opposed relationship thereto being relatively inclined in such directions that prolongations of the faces will converge ltowards thev axial center line of the valve seat as viewed in diametric cross section for the purpose described.

4. A valve seat comprising an annular body; and co-acting means on the body denning opposed surfaces in such linclined relationships to each other that prolongations of such surfaces will converge towards the axial center line of the fbody as viewed in diametrie cross section.

5. A valvel seat comprising an annularbody having an annular end face; external threads on the body;'saidend face and'that face of said threads in opposed relationship thereto being relatively inclined in such directions that pro-v longations of the faces will converge towards the axial center line of the body as viewed in diametric cross section.

6. 'I'he combination with a supporthavingva valve port, of a valve seat for said port; co-

acting threads on the valve seat and in the support by which the valve seat Acan he tightly screwed in place; the valve seat having an end face and the support having a shoulder co-acting therewith to limit the extent to which the valve seat can be screwed into the support; said end lace and said 'shoulder being in parallel relation-V '1. s valve seat comprising abodymvmg'a limitingneef threads bn the-body; and limiting face and the working face of said threads being in parallel relationship and at a right angle to the axis of said seat as viewed in Ydiarnetric cross section.v

8. A valve seat comprising a body having a limiting face; threads on the body; said limiting face and the working face of said threads being relatively inclined in such directions that prof longations of the faces will converge towards the axial center line of the valve seat as viewed in diametric cross section.

9. The combination, with a supportA having a' j valve port, of 'a valve seat for said port; the support a'nd valve seat having means `co-acting -to secure the valve seat 'to the support; said means least two opposed unidirectional helical surfaces t on the support, and two opposed unidirectional helical surfaces on the valve seat complementarily related to the support surfaces and disposedto be maintained in tight contact therewith irrespective of unequal heating and cooling of the valve seat and support. CHFIO N n s'rsucrm. 

